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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rule — a law
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. capital — money
  14. wake — a trail
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. march — the month
  17. capital — a city
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rule — government
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com